Questions on Morganza remain

Published: Saturday, February 2, 2013 at 4:34 p.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, February 2, 2013 at 4:34 p.m.

The Morganza-to-the-Gulf hurricane-protection system has been in the planning stage for 20 years now.

And the federal government is no closer than it has ever been to taking real action on building the most critical flood-protection project this region has on the books.

Fortunately, considerable progress has been made. But that progress has been the work of state and local officials in spite of official inaction on the part of the Army Corps of Engineers.

The corps is now wrapping up yet another study of the project, which has now grown to 98 miles of levee at an estimated cost of some $12.9 billion.

The pattern is familiar to longtime observers of the process. The project has been in the works since 1992, and has been the subject of $70 million worth of studies.

It has been authorized by Congress and the corps, but because of such long bureaucratic delays, the cost ballooned far beyond its original estimates.

Now the corps has added significantly to the scope of the project, and the cost has gone up astronomically.

On Thursday, the federal agency took some public comments on Morganza, and people were understandably suspicious.

Corps officials said they are trying to find ways to decrease the cost by as much as 20 percent, but they will not budge on the design requirements that have driven some of the cost increase.

To the people whose homes and businesses are increasingly vulnerable to future storms, the situation is dire and demands immediate attention. To the corps, apparently, this is a decades-long process that can go back and forth from south Louisiana to Washington, D.C., time and again with no appreciable progress.

That isn’t good enough.

Fortunately, the Terrebonne Levee District is leading the way on real work on this vital project. Voters in Terrebonne Parish have twice passed tax measures to pay for the local work, and levees are being built.

Meanwhile, the corps is collecting input on its latest studies.

People turned out on Thursday to do just that, but even if you couldn’t attend, you can offer your comments to Nathan Dayan, environmental manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, P.O. Box 60267, New Orleans, La., 70160-0267 or by email at morganza.comments@usace.army.mil. They can also be made by phone at 504-862-2530 or by fax at 504-862-2088. The latest report is online at http://1.usa.gov/ZVel3A.

If you are able to do so, get involved in this process. It is meant to include real voices, and yours are the voices the people in Washington need to hear.

The plan could once again suffer the fate of delay and inaction that has marked its journey so far, but it could one day see some corps progress. When and if that day ever comes, it will be important for the plan to include local voices.

In the meantime, at least, the project has not been forgotten. Work is continuing, as much as is possible with limited local dollars.

One day, perhaps, we will get the federal help we so desperately need and rightly deserve.

<p>The Morganza-to-the-Gulf hurricane-protection system has been in the planning stage for 20 years now.</p><p>And the federal government is no closer than it has ever been to taking real action on building the most critical flood-protection project this region has on the books.</p><p>Fortunately, considerable progress has been made. But that progress has been the work of state and local officials in spite of official inaction on the part of the Army Corps of Engineers.</p><p>The corps is now wrapping up yet another study of the project, which has now grown to 98 miles of levee at an estimated cost of some $12.9 billion.</p><p>The pattern is familiar to longtime observers of the process. The project has been in the works since 1992, and has been the subject of $70 million worth of studies.</p><p>It has been authorized by Congress and the corps, but because of such long bureaucratic delays, the cost ballooned far beyond its original estimates.</p><p>Now the corps has added significantly to the scope of the project, and the cost has gone up astronomically.</p><p>On Thursday, the federal agency took some public comments on Morganza, and people were understandably suspicious.</p><p>Corps officials said they are trying to find ways to decrease the cost by as much as 20 percent, but they will not budge on the design requirements that have driven some of the cost increase.</p><p>To the people whose homes and businesses are increasingly vulnerable to future storms, the situation is dire and demands immediate attention. To the corps, apparently, this is a decades-long process that can go back and forth from south Louisiana to Washington, D.C., time and again with no appreciable progress.</p><p>That isn't good enough.</p><p>Fortunately, the Terrebonne Levee District is leading the way on real work on this vital project. Voters in Terrebonne Parish have twice passed tax measures to pay for the local work, and levees are being built.</p><p>Meanwhile, the corps is collecting input on its latest studies.</p><p>People turned out on Thursday to do just that, but even if you couldn't attend, you can offer your comments to Nathan Dayan, environmental manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, P.O. Box 60267, New Orleans, La., 70160-0267 or by email at morganza.comments@usace.army.mil. They can also be made by phone at 504-862-2530 or by fax at 504-862-2088. The latest report is online at http://1.usa.gov/ZVel3A.</p><p>If you are able to do so, get involved in this process. It is meant to include real voices, and yours are the voices the people in Washington need to hear.</p><p>The plan could once again suffer the fate of delay and inaction that has marked its journey so far, but it could one day see some corps progress. When and if that day ever comes, it will be important for the plan to include local voices.</p><p>In the meantime, at least, the project has not been forgotten. Work is continuing, as much as is possible with limited local dollars.</p><p>One day, perhaps, we will get the federal help we so desperately need and rightly deserve.</p><p>Editorials represent the opinions of</p><p>the newspaper, not of any individual.</p>